Submersible water circulation system for enclosed tanks
A submersible, water circulation system for enclosed tanks such as used by municipalities, fire districts, and industries. The system includes a driving unit having a shell extending along an axis with a pump supported within the shell. The shell has at least one inlet and at least one outlet and is positionable on the floor of the tank with the outlet facing upwardly. The upwardly facing outlet is preferably a thin, upwardly facing, elongated slot and creates a thin, substantially planar discharge of water therethrough that is directed upwardly toward the surface of the body of water. The substantially planar discharge presents a very large surface area for its volume and induces water adjacent the outside of the shell of the driving unit to move upwardly with it toward the surface of the body of water.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/570,720 filed Dec. 15, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,726,162, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/238,934 filed Sep. 21, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,219, and this application claims the benefit of both of them and incorporates both of them herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates to the field of circulation systems for water tanks and more particularly to the field of circulation systems for enclosed tanks such as used for municipalities, fire protection, and industrial purposes.
2. Discussion of the BackgroundMunicipalities, fire districts, and industries commonly use enclosed water tanks. Such tanks typically hold about 300,000-500,000 gallons with some larger ones more on the order of 2 to 3 million gallons and are about 50-75 feet wide and 30 or more feet high. The water in these tanks is preferably kept mixed by an internal circulation system to maintain its freshness, particularly in municipal water tanks, and to avoid water quality problems such as bacteria growth and nitrite development.
A physical problem with many such tanks is that they normally have only a relatively small access opening (e.g., 18-24 inches wide) which is designed primarily just to permit an individual worker to pass through to inspect or repair the tank. Consequently, many circulation systems if they are going to be used in the tank must be passed through the access opening in nearly completely disassembled or at least partially disassembled condition. One or more workers must then enter the tank to assemble the system. This often requires special, elaborate, and costly training and following strict regulatory and other safety procedures. Special equipment must also often be used such as winches to lower the workers, tethered tools, safety lines, air monitors, inflatable rafts, and even diving gear as well as rescue personnel standing by. Additionally, it can require that the tank be taken off line or out of service and even drained. Alternate sources must often then be arranged to temporarily supply water to customers and for fire protection. Any unexpected or prolonged delays in bringing the tank back on line can thereafter be quite costly and in some cases present safety concerns to the community. The same problems are presented if the circulation system placed in the tank subsequently breaks down and workers must enter the tank to repair it.
With these and other concerns in mind, the present invention was developed. In it, a submersible circulation system is provided that can easily fit through the relatively small access opening of the tank in a completely assembled condition. Additionally, the circulation system is designed to be lowered to the tank floor to automatically assume the desired operating orientation without the need for any workers to enter the tank. The system can also be raised out of the tank through the access opening without the necessity of any workers having to enter the tank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention involves a submersible, water circulation system for enclosed tanks such as used by municipalities, fire districts, and industries. The system includes a driving unit having a shell extending along an axis with a pump supported within the shell. The shell has at least one inlet and at least one outlet and is positionable on the floor of the tank with the outlet facing upwardly.
In operation, the pump continuously draws an incoming flow of water from outside of the driving unit adjacent the tank floor through the inlet of the driving unit. In the preferred embodiment, all of the continuously incoming flow is then driven by the pump out of the driving unit through the upwardly facing outlet. The upwardly facing outlet is preferably a thin, elongated slot extending along the shell of the driving unit and creates a thin, substantially planar discharge of water therethrough that is directed upwardly toward the surface of the body of water. The substantially planar discharge induces water adjacent the outside of the shell of the driving unit to move upwardly with it toward the surface of the body of water.
The substantially planar discharge presents a very large surface area for its volume to the adjacent water and induces a very large volume of tank water to flow with it. The discharge from the submerged driving unit is substantially laminar and travels upwardly to the surface of the water and substantially radially outwardly to the sides of the tank. It then flows downwardly to the tank floor and substantially radially inwardly along the tank floor to the submerged driving unit. In doing so, this primary circulation pattern in turn induces secondary flow patterns within the body of water to thereby thoroughly mix the water in the entire tank and to do so in a substantially laminar manner.
The driving unit of the circulation system is additionally designed to be received through the relatively small access opening of the tank in a completely assembled conditioned. It can thereafter be lowered to the tank floor by a flexible line to automatically assume the desired operating orientation without the need for any workers to enter the tank. The driving unit can also be raised out of the tank through the access opening without the necessity of any workers having to enter the tank.
As shown in
Referring again to
The driving unit 3 itself as shown in
Supported within the shell 7 of the driving unit 3 is a pump 21 (see
In operation, the pump 21 continuously draws an incoming flow of water 30 (see
For its volume, the thin, substantially planar discharge at 12 (
It has been empirically measured that the thin, substantially planar initial discharge 12 (e.g., at 150-200 gallons per minute) will induce an overall flow or movement of water in the tank 2 on the order of 10:1 (e.g., 1500-2000 gallons per minute). This is in comparison to a single nozzle at the same discharge rate and volume inducing or moving flow in the tank 2 at more of a 5:1 ratio. Again, it is believed that the greatly increased surface area of the thin, substantially planar discharge 12 (versus for example the external surface area of a single nozzle creating a substantially cylindrical discharge) contacts and induces the significant difference in overall flow or movement of water in the tank 2. Further, this is accomplished as illustrated in
The essentially non-turbulent discharge 12,12′,12″ and surface crowning at 22′ in
As mentioned above, the driving unit 3 of the present invention has been specifically designed to fit through the access opening 10 of the tank 2 (
This last feature is accomplished by securing the lowering chain or other line 41 to the driving unit 3 (e.g., at the first end portion 11 of the shell 7 in
It is also noted that the pump 21 and shell 7 of the embodiment of
The outer, tubular shell 7 whether separate from or integral with the pump 21 is also preferably substantially cylindrical along and about the axis 9 as illustrated. This is preferred to provide the maximum, cross-sectional area for its volume so the shell 7 can be as compact as possible and fit through the smaller access openings 10. Additionally, the circulation system of the present invention has been described and illustrated in use in an enclosed, elevated tank but it is equally applicable for use in tanks for ground or underground storage and with other contained bodies of water such as in reservoirs.
It is further noted that although the discharge arrangements such as the plurality of spaced nozzles 51 of
In this last regard, the chain or other flexible line 41 in
The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention described in detail with respect to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, other structural arrangements, and other embodiments could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims. In particular, it is noted that the word substantially is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement or other representation. This term is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter involved.
Claims
1. A submersible, circulation system (1) for a body of water having a surface (22) and contained in a water tank (2) having side walls (4) and a floor (8), said circulation system including:
- a driving unit having a shell (7) extending along an axis (9) and including a pump (21) supported within the shell (7), said shell (7) having at least one inlet (13) and at least a first outlet (15) and being positionable on the floor (8) of the tank (2) with the first outlet (15) facing vertically upwardly perpendicular to a horizontal plane wherein the pump (21) continuously draws an incoming flow (30) of water from outside of the driving unit (3) adjacent the floor (8) of the tank (2) through the inlet (13) of the driving unit (3) with at least a portion of the continuously incoming flow (30) being driven by said pump (21) out of said driving unit (3) through the vertically upwardly facing first outlet (15), said vertically upwardly facing first outlet (15) being a thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot positioned below the surface (22) of the body of water (20) and extending along the axis (9) of the shell (7) of the driving unit (3) and creating a vertically upwardly directed, thin, planar discharge (12) of water therethrough below the surface (22) of the body of water (20) directed vertically upwardly perpendicular to said horizontal plane toward the surface (22) of the body of water (20) and inducing water (18′) adjacent the outside of the shell (7) of the driving unit (3) along the axis (9) thereof to move vertically upwardly perpendicular to said horizontal plane with the planar discharge (12) of the first outlet (15) directed vertically upwardly perpendicular to said horizontal plane toward the surface (22) of the body of water (20) to establish a recurring overall water circulation pattern within the tank (2) up from adjacent the floor (8) and driving unit (3) toward the surface (22) of the body of water (20), outwardly therefrom toward the side walls (4), downwardly adjacent the side walls (4), and back inwardly adjacent the floor (8) toward the driving unit (3).
2. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein the width of the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot is in the range of about ¼ to about one inch.
3. The circulation system of claim 2 wherein the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot of the first outlet (15) has a width less than five percent and greater than zero percent of the length thereof.
4. The circulation system of claim 2 wherein the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot of the first outlet (15) has a width less than two percent and greater than zero percent of the length thereof.
5. The circulation system of claim 2 wherein the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot of the first outlet (15) has a width less than one percent and greater than zero percent of the length thereof.
6. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein the width of the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot is less than ¾ of an inch and greater than zero.
7. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein the width of the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot is less than ½ of an inch and greater than zero.
8. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein the width of thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot is less than ¼ of an inch and greater than zero.
9. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein all of the continuously incoming flow (30) is driven by said pump (21) out of the driving unit (3) through the thin, vertically upwardly facing, elongated slot of the first outlet (15).
10. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein the water tank (2) has a ceiling (6) and the surface (22) of the body of water (20) in the tank is spaced from said ceiling to create an air gap.
11. The circulation system of claim 1 wherein said shell (7) has outwardly facing sides opposite one another relative to the elongated outlet slot (15) and extending along said axis (9) and the vertically upwardly directed, thin, planar discharge (12) of water from the first outlet (15) directed vertically upwardly perpendicular to said horizontal plane toward the surface (22) of the body of water (20) induces water (18′) adjacent each of the respective outwardly facing, opposite sides to move vertically upwardly perpendicular to said horizontal plane with the planar discharge (12) of the first outlet (15) on each respective side of the planar discharge (12).
3921584 | November 1975 | Scantlin |
6821011 | November 23, 2004 | Crump |
20070193635 | August 23, 2007 | Hahn |
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 25, 2017
Date of Patent: Aug 21, 2018
Patent Publication Number: 20170321669
Assignee: Medora Environmental, Inc. (Dickinson, ND)
Inventors: Douglas P. Walter (Dickinson, ND), Joel J. Bleth (Dickinson, ND), Willard R. Tormaschy (Dickinson, ND), Corey M. Simnioniw (Belfield, ND), Jonathan L. Zent (Dickinson, ND)
Primary Examiner: Essama Omgba
Assistant Examiner: Timothy P Solak
Application Number: 15/659,357
International Classification: F04D 13/16 (20060101); F04D 13/08 (20060101); F04D 29/40 (20060101); F04D 29/00 (20060101); F04D 29/42 (20060101); F04B 23/02 (20060101); E03B 11/00 (20060101);